TD Bank charity to plant 300 trees at Milne Dam Conservation Park
By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is celebrating 15 years of TD Tree Days by planting 300 trees and shrubs at Milne Dam Conservation Park, with more events planned across North America.
Over 50 people registered to volunteer for the event, which will take place on Oct. 24, near the back parking lot on Princess Street.
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, TD Tree Days is aiming to plant over 30,000 trees and shrubs across North America. As of now, the foundation has placed over 23,000, with several more events scheduled within the next few weeks.
Carolyn Scotchmer, executive director of the foundation, said that the group has worked with various municipalities, community groups, Indigenous communities, experts, and other members of the public to help it achieve its goal this year.
In fact, TD Tree Days has attracted over 44,000 volunteers who have planted more than 550,000 trees and shrubs since starting in 2010.
“TD [Bank] is a large organization and we have so many colleagues right across the country who come with a real interest in working with communities, planting trees, and being in nature,” she said.
Scotchmer added that planting trees at Milne Dam Park not only supports local wildlife but also benefits residents by reducing flood risks during heavy rains and providing spaces for people to exercise and relax.
“I think Milne Dam really presents a place where you can build a showpiece in terms of the kind of work that’s possible within an urban environment,” she said.
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is a charitable organization founded by TD Bank that supports environmental projects across Canada.
The City of Markham and Tree Canada hosted a separate tree-planting event at Milne Dam Park during National Tree Day on Sept. 24, during which volunteers added 1,400 new trees and shrubs to the park.
For more information about TD Tree Days, head to www.tdtreedays.com/en-ca.
Photo: TD Tree Days volunteers have planted over 23,000 trees and shrubs across North America this year. (TD supplied photo)